Sapientiæ 4:11

Nova Vulgata

Favus distillans labia tua, sponsa; mel et lac sub lingua tua, et odor vestimentorum tuorum sicut odor Libani.

Parallel Translations

Clementine Latin Vulgate (1592)
Et si dormierint duo, fovebuntur mutuo ; unus quomodo calefiet ?

Jerome's Latin Vulgate (405)
Favus distillans labia tua, sponsa;
mel et lac sub lingua tua:
et odor vestimentorum tuorum sicut odor thuris.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

lips: Song of Solomon 4:3, Song of Solomon 5:13, Song of Solomon 7:9, Psalms 71:14, Psalms 71:15, Psalms 71:23, Psalms 71:24, Proverbs 16:24, Hosea 14:2, Hebrews 13:15

honey: Song of Solomon 5:1, Proverbs 24:13, Proverbs 24:14, Isaiah 7:15

the smell: Song of Solomon 4:10, Genesis 27:27, Psalms 45:8, Hosea 14:7

Reciprocal: Genesis 8:21 - smelled Job 29:22 - speech Proverbs 5:2 - thy lips Proverbs 15:7 - lips Proverbs 31:26 - in her Song of Solomon 5:15 - as Lebanon Hosea 14:6 - his smell

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Thy lips, O [my] spouse, drop [as] the honeycomb,.... Words, for sweetness, delight, and pleasure, like that; so the speech of persons, flowing from their mouth and tongue, is said to be sweeter than the honeycomb s; and lovers are said to be sweeter to one another than the sweet honey t: so the lips or words of the church in prayer, as the Targum; or in praise of Christ, and thankfulness to him; or in the ministration of the doctrines of the Gospel, which are pleasant words; or in common conversation, are pleasing to Christ; when, like the honey, they drop freely and without constraint; gradually, at proper seasons and opportunities, as prudence directs; and continually, more or less, ever dropping something to the glory of divine grace, and the good of souls;

honey and milk [are] under thy tongue; rolled, as a sweet morsel, there: the ancients had a sort of food of this mixture, a cake made of honey and milk, called by the Greeks "meligala" u, and sometimes "candylos" w, which was the same composition; Galen x says, it was not safe to take goats' milk without honey; Jove is said y to be nursed with such a mixture: and this being very grateful to the taste, the speech of the church for pleasantness is compared unto it; so Pindar z compares his hymn or ode to honey mixed with milk, as being sweet and grateful; and in Plautus a,

"your words are honey and milk:''

and, it may be further observed, that such a mixture of milk and honey, with poppies in it, was given to the newly married bride, and drank when brought home to her husband b; which was now the case of the church. The doctrines of the Gospel may be meant, comparable to honey and milk; to "honey", for their sweetness and acceptableness: for their nourishing nature; and for, their being gathered out of the choice flowers of the Scriptures, by the laborious ministers of the word, who are like to bees; see Psalms 19:10; to "milk", for the purity of them and the nourishment had by them; for their being easy of digestion, when mixed with faith; and for their being of a cooling nature, to allay the heat of a fiery law in the conscience; and for the recovery and restoration of souls by them, in a declining condition; see 1 Peter 2:2; these may be said to be "under the tongue", when they have a place in the heart, are the subject of constant meditation, a sweetness is tasted in them; and they are had in readiness to speak of them upon all occasions;

and the smell of thy garments [is] like the smell of Lebanon; the ancients formerly scented their garments; Calypso gave to Ulysses sweet smelling garments c: such are Christ's robe of righteousness, and garments of salvation, which are said to "smell of myrrh, aloes, and cassia"; with which the saints being arrayed, the smell of their raiment is as "the smell of a field the Lord has blessed", and so like the smell of Lebanon, a mountain abounding with odoriferous trees and plants; see Psalms 45:8. Or the outward conversation garments of the saints may be designed, the mention of which fitly follows the lips and tongue; for when works go along with words, and practice with profession; when to lips dropping the doctrines of the Gospel, like the honeycomb, are joined the sweet smelling garments of an agreeable life and conversation; the Christian is very much ornamented, and becomes lovely and amiable.

s Vid. Theocrit. Idyll. 21. v. 26, 27. Homer. Iliad. 1. v. 249. t Plauti Asinaria, Act. 3. Sc. 3. v. 24. u Vid. Cohen de Lara, Ir David, p. 52. The word is used in T. Hieros. Challah, fol. 57. 4. w Athenaeus, l. 1. c. 8. p. 9. & l. 14. c. 13. p. 644. Suidas in voce,

κανδυλος. Aristoph. Pax, & Florent. Christian. in ibid. p. 633. x Lib. de Bono Sapore, c. 4. y Lactant. de Fals. Relig. l. 1. c. 22. See Isa. vii. 15. z Nemea, Ode 3. d. 10, 11. a Trucul. Act. 1. Sc. 2. v. 75, 76, b "Nec pigeat tritum niveo cum lacte papaver sumere, et expressis, mella liquata favis", Ovid. Fasti, l. 4. v. 149, 150. c ειματα θυωδεα, Homer. Odyss. 5. v. 264. & 21. v. 52.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The similes employed refer to the graces of adornment, speech, and gesture, as expressions of inward character and sentiment.

Song of Solomon 4:9

With one of thine eyes - Rather, with one look of thine.

Song of Solomon 4:11

Honeycomb - literally, Thy lips distill a dropping (of pure honey). Compare the marginal references.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 11. Thy lips - drop as the honey-comb — Thy words are as delicious to my heart as the first droppings of the honey-comb are to the palate.

Honey and milk are under thy tongue — Eloquence and persuasive speech were compared among the ancients to honey and milk.

Thus Homer, Iliad, lib. i., ver. 247: -

Τοισι δε Νεστωρ

Ηδυεπης ανορουσε, λιγυς Πυλιων αγορητης.

Του και απο γλωσσης μελιτος γλυκιων ῥεεν αυδη.

Experienced Nestor, in persuasion skill'd,

Words sweet as honey from his lips distill'd.

But the figure is common to all writers and languages. A similar expression will be seen in the Gitagovinda.